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2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 MARCH 2025 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt TO effectively reduce car use in Malta, decisive measures are needed to raise the costs associ- ated with driving, a report by the International Monetary Fund sug- gests. The report released in February proposes higher fuel prices, rais- ing vehicle taxes, and introducing charges for public parking spaces. Such measures "would help" ad- dress Malta's infrastructural chal- lenges. Nonetheless, IMF notes that the Maltese government currently does not intend to pursue such measures. The report entitled Taking Stock Of Infrastructure In Malta was prepared by Alexander Pitt, a sen- ior economist in the European Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The article followed Pitt's partic- ipation in a workshop held at the Central Bank of Malta. The report praised Malta's eco- nomic performance over the past decade, describing it as remark- able. However, it also referred to the strain caused by population growth and increased tourist ar- rivals on infrastructure, particu- larly in relation to congestion. The Singapore model Pitt noted that Malta's size and population resembled those of several small- to mid-sized Cen- tral European cities, most of which have public transportation networks that consist not only of bus systems (like Malta) but also tram lines. Furthermore, a significant por- tion of Malta's land area is "ar- tificial," consisting mainly of buildings and roads. As a result, although car ownership is similar to that of the Balearics (and the EU as a whole), the number of cars per square kilometers of de- veloped land—where the majority of traffic occurs—is double that of the Balearics. "In Singapore, in contrast, where artificial land cover is almost twice the rate in Malta, car ownership is much lower, with a well-devel- oped public transportation net- work including buses, metros, and light rail," the report stated. Large bus fleet The report also positively noted that public transport in Malta is free for residents and that the bus fleet is relatively large – one bus for every 200 people, more than twice as many as in the Balearics. However, while take-up has in- creased significantly, it remains limited, as travel times are rela- tively long, and buses are also af- fected by congestion. Moreover, the report acknowl- edged that government was plan- ning some initiatives to ease con- gestion by managing traffic flows better throughout the day and in- troducing express bus lines. "However, reducing car use would likely also require measures to increase costs, for example, by raising fuel prices, increasing vehi- cle taxes, and introducing charges for public parking spaces, which the government currently does not intend to pursue." More roads, more cars The report was also sceptical about easing congestion through more road building, noting that the road network was already very dense – nine kilometres of road per square kilometre, 21 times as many as in the Balearics, though only two-thirds of Singapore's level. "Experience in other countries suggests that the expansion of the road network only briefly relieves congestion, as car ownership and use tend to rise with more roads available," the report said. On the other hand, a rail-based public transport system could be effective in limiting congestion and offering attractive alternatives to car use. However, the report said that this would be either very costly (a metro would require in- vestments amounting to about 34% of GDP, though spread over 15-20 years) or encounter geo- graphic constraints. For example, a tram network, while more effi- cient than buses, would require space for its tracks, which would mostly have to be on the surface to contain costs. The report identified transport as the area "where the need for action to ease congestion is ur- gent," even though the costs for a sustainable solution are high, and implementation would take time. It is in this context that "pricing actions – on vehicle and fuel tax- es, or parking charges – would be helpful." The report also referred to chal- lenges in other sectors like ener- gy, water supply, and wastewater, noting that power and water sup- ply capacities are adequate in the short term, but investments to enhance capacity in the medium term are needed. According to the report, the planned launch of a strategic de- velopment plan (the Vision Mal- ta 2050) offers an opportunity to outline a longer-term devel- opment strategy. "Such a strate- gy, however, would also need to outline the investment needs and costs that arise from them." IMF report urges cost-increasing measures to reduce car use in Malta A new report highlights the need for Malta to implement cost-increasing measures, such as higher fuel prices, increased vehicle taxes, and parking charges, to curb car use Car ownership in Malta is similar to that of the Balearics but the number of cars per square kilometers of developed land – where the majority of traffic occurs – is double that of the Spanish islands A rail-based public transport system such as a metro could be effective in limiting congestion but this would be very costly to implement